Quarterback

With a strong running game behind him, Matthew Stafford had a remarkably efficient day throwing the football on Sunday. Stafford completed 18 of 22 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns and finished with a passer rating of 138.1. Stafford laced a couple perfect passes to TJ Jones and Michael Roberts on the Lions’ opening touchdown drive, and he showed his mobility later in the game. He avoided two sacks then scrambled for a first down on a play late in the first half and converted another fourth-and-1 play with a sneak in the second half.

Grade: A

Running backs

It’s only been six games, but Kerryon Johnson is well on his way to becoming the Lions’ best running back since Barry Sanders. Johnson had 158 yards on 19 carries as part of a 248-yard rushing day, and he broke big runs of 71, 24 and 18 yards. LeGarrette Blount had 50 yards on 10 carries and ran untouched into the end zone on his second-quarter touchdown thanks to a crushing block by Nick Bellore on Raekwon McMillan. As a team, the Lions had their best overall rushing day since 1997.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford hands the ball off to LeGarrette Blount in the first quarter of the Lions' 32-21 win on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla.(Photo: Mark Brown, Getty Images)

Wide receivers/tight ends

The Lions’ receivers weren’t asked to do much Sunday as Johnson and Co. shouldered most of the workload. Roberts did catch both of Stafford’s touchdown passes, Jones had a nice grab down the sideline for his only catch of the day, and Kenny Golladay drew a key, albeit questionable, pass-interference penalty on the Lions’ game-clinching field-goal drive. On the down side: Roberts missed a block on Jerome Baker when Johnson was stopped for no gain in the second quarter, Luke Willson was beat inside on a failed third-and-1 conversion attempt (though he did open a big hole on Blount’s 13-yard run) and Golden Tate dropped a potential touchdown and had a fumble that he recovered.

Offensive line

The Lions offensive line deserves plenty of credit for Johnson’s big rushing day as they dominated the Dolphins up front. Frank Ragnow cleaned out Kiko Alonso on Johnson’s 71-yard run, and the left side of the line opened a gaping hole that Johnson blew threw on his first carry of the game. It wasn’t a perfect performance. Rick Wagner was called for a chop block that nullified a nice run (though Marvin Jones might have rode his defender too long on the play), Graham Glasgow missed a cut block on Alonso on a screen to Johnson that would have been a huge play, and Glasgow drew an illegal-hands-to-the-face penalty that negated a Golladay touchdown. Overall, though, it was a memorable day up front.

Ricky Jean Francois had two of the Lions’ four sacks in his return to his hometown of Miami. He split two blockers to take down Brock Osweiler on the Dolphins’ first pass attempt of the game, and beat Jesse Davis for his second sack on the final play of the third quarter. The Dolphins ran for 107 yards on 19 carries, but they really only hurt the Lions with one run, a 54-yard touchdown by Kenyan Drake when Romeo Okwara and Da’Shawn Hand were sealed off on the line and Quandre Diggs couldn’t get off his block on the second level. Okwara had six tackles and A’Shawn Robinson made a couple nice stops in the fourth quarter.

Lions defensive back DeShawn Shead celebrates with Cre'von LeBlanc after a tackle during the first half of the Lions' 32-21 win on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Michael Reaves, Getty Images

Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills gives a football to a security woman he pushes to the ground after scoring a touchdown, during the first half on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Lynne Sladky, AP

Lions tight end Michael Roberts catches a pass in the endzone for a touchdown as Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker defends, during the first half on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Lynne Sladky, AP

Hall of Famer and former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino looks on prior to the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Michael Reaves, Getty Images

Lions quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (left) and Matt Cassel both take the field prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Steve Mitchell USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers

Jarrad Davis led the Lions with seven tackles and had a good day overall. He did appear to misdiagnose Drake’s long touchdown, but was solid in pass coverage on Frank Gore early in the game and made a quick read on a swing pass to Drake inside the 5 that fell incomplete. He finished with seven tackles and had his third sack of the season. Christian Jones broke up one pass over the middle, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin played a series at middle linebacker in place of Davis early as the Lions spelled some players due to the heat.

Defensive backs

Brock Osweiler threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns, but much of that production came with the Dolphins playing catch-up in the fourth quarter. Diggs made a big tackle on the game’s second series on a misdirection running play to Albert Wilson that had a chance to go for a huge gain if not for that stop. Diggs was flagged for a drive-extending pass-interference penalty in the fourth quarter, and Nevin Lawson was called for a costly hands-to-the-face penalty on third-and-10 that kept alive another drive. Glover Quin appeared to play too shallow on a third-and-1 pass to Mike Gesicki, while Darius Slay had too much traffic to fight through on the touchdown he allowed to Kenny Stills.

Grade: B

Special teams

Matt Prater made all four of his field-goal tries, including the game-clinching 50-yarder with 1:55 to play, his first kick of 50-plus yards this year. Sam Martin only punted once, but Jakeem Grant went 19 yards on the return. The Lions, playing without Jamal Agnew, didn’t do much in the return game. Both Tate and TJ Jones took turns as punt returner, and each let a fieldable ball hit inside the 10-yard line.

Coaching

The Lions played their best game of the season Sunday, at least offensively, as coordinator Jim Bob Cooter pushed all the right buttons with his play-calling. Give Matt Patricia credit for having his team well-prepared, too. The Lions looked sharp coming off a bye, which isn't always easy to do. Patricia did make a couple questionable coaching decisions, first declining a holding penalty after a second-and-7 incompletion in the third quarter (the Dolphins converted on the next play and scored a touchdown on the drive) and then going for two after their ensuing touchdown, when they were up 12 points and in control of the game offensively. But those were minor infractions on a day when things went smoothly overall.